QNM Articles & Patterns

Cultivating Flowers in Wintertime

By Letha M. Wehrle

Inspired by flowers she sees in nature, books, greeting cards, and on other quilts, Letha Wehrle of Fort Wayne, Indiana, designed these original blocks with the help of her husband, Richard, and his computer. Letha says about her prizewinning techniques, "Most of the larger flowers are preformed in my hands, and I stitch all the embroidery I can before appliqueing the motif in place on the quilt top. I try to avoid handling the patches too much in my effort to keep the quilt clean." The quilt won third place in the amateur applique category at the American Quilter's Society show in 1999.

The strippy setting is unusual for an album quilt in which each block is different. Letha's designs include lovely baskets, wreaths, and garlands. We present adapted patterns for the five blocks in which the flowers and leaves form heart shapes.

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